Bed-couch.



T. B. LAYGOGK.

' BED GOUQH.

APPLICATION. FILED AUG. 20, 1910.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

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; sfrn'rns r'rnn THOMAS B. LAYCOCK, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO T. B. IIAYCOCK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

BED-COUCH.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. LAYoooK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bed-Couches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in couches having folding side members which are capable of being extended to increase the width of the bed.

The object of this invention is to hinge the side members to the body of the couch in a manner to permit said side members to be raised to a vertical position or to be placed in horizontal positions or to be lowered into vertical positions depending from the horizontal level of the couch bed, and the particular objectof the invention is to provide a simple and easily operated means which will positively hold the horizontal and the raised vertical adjustments of the folding side members.

The object of the invention is accomplished by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a detail in top plan view of one end of a couch in its open position, embodying the features of this invention. Fig. Q. is an elevation in end view looking at the same end of the couch which is illustrated in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail in elevation and partial vertical section showing the manner of hinging and retaining the adjustment of the side members.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

The main frame of the couch comprises four vertical legs 5, preferably formed out of angle iron, the lower ends of which will preferably be bent outwardly to increase the base area, and these lower ends will be provided with roller casters 6, in the usual way. The posts 5 at each of the ends of the couch will be connected in pairs by horizontal upper angle bars 7 and lower bars 8. The posts 5 and bars 8 will be braced by means of the diagonal braces 9. The pairs at the ends of the couch will be connected together by means of the side rails 10, in the usual manner. The angle bars 7 will be continued past the post 5 to provide suitable means for the attachment of the folding side members of the couch. These side members are two in number, one for each side of the couch and they each comprise longitudinal outside bars 11 and end bars 12. The bars 11 and 12 are braced at their corners by diagonal braces 13.

The inner ends of the end bars 12 overlap the projecting ends of the bars 7 and are hingedly connected to the bars 7 by means of rivets 111 seated solidly in the vertical members of the end bars 12, and passing through slots 15 (see Fig. 3), formed in the ends of bars 7. The slots 15 are provided in order to permit the folding side members as a whole, to be adjusted laterally or in the direction of the lengths of their end bars 1:2, toward and from the main frame of the couch for reasons which will be presently explained, and the slots will terminate at their ends with lateral extensions or notches as shown in Fig. 3.

Secured rigidly to the upper ends of each post 5, against the ends of the couch frame, are segmental racks 18, formed out of strap or flat metal bars bent edgewise into approximately three quarters of a circle. The lower end of the bar forming this circle is continued vertically in alinement with its post 5 and is attached rigidly to an inwardly extended portion of the segmental rack formed by continuing the upper end of the rack horizontally toward the body of the couch. In practice the two segmental racks for an end of the couch will be formed out of a single metal bar, in the manner shown' in the drawing, which affords a pleasing design to the finished article and lends itself well to the construction of a strong and substantial portion of the couch frame and it also serves as head and foot pieces to retain the top mattresses and bed clothes of the couch. The outer edge of the segmental racks are provided with the top notches 2O and the inner edges of the racks are provided with the notches 21, preferably angular in shape with one wall approximately horizontal and the opposite wall tangent to the inner circle or edge of the segment. The outer ends of the slots 15 in bars 7 are at the centers of the curved or segmental racks 18, and the racks 18 are in planes which intersect the top horizontal flanges of the angle bars 12 of the folding side members. These horizontal flanges of the bars 12 are slotted as shown at 23 to allow the segment racks 18 to pass through the s A O11 SELIHG.

bars 12. The slots 23 are long enough to permit the folding side members to be moved toward and from the body of the couch, so as to cause the metal at the inner end of slots 23 to engage in the notches 2O or 2l, depending upon the position of the folding, side member, and the latter is retained by the support afforded by the notched segment rack, in this manner. Vhen the folding side members are in horizontal positions for a full extension bed as shown in the drawings, their weight on notches 2l as fulcrums tend to depress the outer edges of said side members and raise the inner ends of the end bars 12 causing-the rivets 14 to enter the lateral extensions at the outer ends of slots 15, thereby locking the side members against inner movement until the outer edges at 11 are lifted up. f

When the side members are in their horizontal positions and it is desired to raise them into vertical position, the first operation will be to grasp the bar 11 and lift up This will throw the pivot out of the locking notch at the end of slot 15 and then the upper oblique side of notch 21 will cause the side member to move inwardly or lengthwise of end bars 12, and also cause the rivet 14 to travel toward the innerl or rear end of slot 15 and when the side member reaches a vertical position such as is shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 3 the said member will drop by gravity by reason of the upper end of slot or metal at that end, entering the notch permit the metal at the upper end of slot 23 to enter notch 20.

Then it is desired to lower the side member to a depending vertical position the outer edge of the member is first lifted sufiiciently to throw the pin 14 out of the locking notch at the outer end of slot 15 and then the side member is pushed inwardly or toward the body of the couch until the end bar 12 is disengaged from notch 21, when, by releasing the side member the latter will fall by gravity to its lower vertical position and will remain there without any locking means being necessary. In the operation described in this paragraph the side member was assumed to be in its horizontal position at the beginning of the operation.

I claim- 1. The combination of a couch-frame comprising legs and horizontal bars connecting said legs, said frame having slots to receive hinge-pins, folding side members having fixed pins entering said slots of the frame, segment racks carried by the frame, having notches toengage and hold said folding side members when the latter are moved transversely of their lengths in an outward direction, and means for locking the folding side members against accidental transverse movement.

2. The combination of a couch-frame comprising legs and horizontal bars connecting said legs, said frame having slots to receive hinge-pins said slots having lateral extensions at each of their ends, folding side members having fixed pins entering said slots of the frame, and segment racks carried by the frame having notches in their inner edges to engage and hold said folding side members against downward movement when the latter are moved out laterally of the couch.

ln witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 15th day of August, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and ten.

THOMAS B. LAYCOGK. 

